Rotary fluid coupling shaft retaining means



Dec. 2, 1947. R. c. ZEIDLER ROTARY FLUI D COUPLING SHAFT RETAINING MEANS Filed Feb. 13, 1946 Patented Dec. 2, 1947 ROTARY FLUID COUPLING SHAFT RETAINING MEANS Reinhold C. Zeidler, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application February 13, 1946, Serial No. 647,247

I 7 Claims. (CI. 60-54) The present invention relates generally to fluid couplings and, more specifically, the improvements are directed to means for piloting .the shaft or'hub portion of the driven assembly of a fluid coupling whereby said shaft or hub portion is restrained against movement in a direction axially of the coupling during operation standard crank shaft flange without requiring the substitution of a flange of different diameter, thus eflfecting a considerable saving of expense and permitting interchangeability for servicing.

Another object is to provide a bearing arrangement for interengaged portions of the drive and driven assembly of a fluid coupling in which one assembly is piloted on the other, whereby both assemblies are maintained against longitudinal axial movement, one with respect to the other, during operation of the fluid coupling.

Another object resides in providing a pilot hearing which simplifies and also facilitates the insertion or withdrawal of the driven assembly with respect to the drive assembly. such insertion or withdrawal being effected by a force which is exerted in an axial direction.

A still further object resides in the provision of positive mechanical means for holding the pilot bearing in position in one of theassemblies, and the provision of latching means on the other assembly, which latch means are retractible during the insertion or removal of one assembly with respect to the other.

Further objects, aims and advantages of the present improvements will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after understanding the construction and arrangement of the present improvements. p

Fig. 1 is an axial section of a typical fluid coupling showing the present improvements; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a fragmentary portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1, showing the driving and driven assemblies disengaged.

The drawings are to be understood as being more or less of a schematic character for the purpose of disclosing a typical or preferred form of the present improvements.

Referring to Fig. 1, the end of engine crankshaft 5 has a radial flange 6 to which the fluid coupling is anchored in any suitable manner.

The fluid coupling includes a drive assembly A y and a driven assembly B that is encompassed by the drive assembly.

The drive assembly A comprises a disc-like plate I having a centrally arranged recess 8 for seating the crankshaft flange 6 to which it is secured by bolts 9 screwed through the plate and flange from the inside of the coupling. As seen in the drawings; the plate I is continuous throughout its central region and is not provided with the usual axial opening which has heretofore required a closure such as a seal cap."

Thus, theproblem of leakage at this central region is definitely "eliminated. At its central region plate I has an axially projecting annular flange l0 which is interiorly shouldered as at H to provide a stop for an antifriction bearing unit l2. This bearing, which may be a well-known type, is retained-against the shoulder II by a snap ring l3 seated in an internal channel adjacent th rim of flange Ill. The driven assembly includes the housing Ta bolted or otherwise secured to the disc-like driving plate 1 adjacent the rim thereof. Housing la may be of a somewhat semi-toroidal shape in cross section or it may take other forms as required by the service. The driving vanes or blades lb of the drive assembly A are preferably of semi-circular contour and have their arcuate or segmental edges suitably housing terminates in a hollow annular boss 1c containing suitable sealing means Id such as a plurality of waved spring washers for pressing a seal ring against an adjacentsurface of the driven assembly. 7

The driven assembly comprises the sleeve M which surrounds the driven or take-off shaft l5 and has an annular flange l6 intermediate its ends for supporting the shell I! carrying the blades or vanes l8 of the driven assembly B. The forward portion of sleeve I4 has a tapered hub portion l9, shouldered as at 20, and beyond this shoulder there is a cylindrical end portion 2| arranged to be inserted into the bearing l2 until said shoulder 20 abuts the side of the bearing that is radially inward from snap ring [3.

For the purpose of retaining the hub and sleeve in proper relation to hearing l2, and for facilitating the insertion and withdrawal of the sleeve hub,

a suitable detent arrangement is provided. This arrangement comprises headed plungers 22 the lit shanks of which are guided in radial holes 23 3 I at the inner end region oi hub II. A suitable spring 24 is compressed between the heads of the plungers to urge them in radially outward directions to project their outer ends beyond the surface of the hub. As seen in detail in Fig. 2, the inner corner portions of the bearing II are chainfered as at so that, when the end of hub 18 isinserted into said hearing by a force exerted in a direction axially of the assembly, these detents or plungers 22 will engage the right-hand chamfered region and will be retracted into their guide holes 23 while the hub is being-forced into the bearing. When hub shoulder-Kill has con g, tacted bearing II, the protruding ends of the plungers will be engaged with the opposite side of the hearing as seen in Fig. 1. Whenever it is desired to disassemble the hub from the bearing a force may be exerted toward the right (Fig.. '1) and the detents will be retractediby the adjacent chamfer of the bearing thusreleasing the hub so that it may be withdrawn.

The arrangement disclosed herein provides an eflectivemeans for piloting one of the assemblies of a fluid coupling with respect to the other assembly. The arrangement also riermits and facilitates the insertion or withdrawalfof one of the assemblies with respect to the f other. ls seen in Fig. l, the bolts 8 for connecting the coupling to the crankshaft flange are inserted from the inside of the coupling thus efiecting theready installation of the fluid couplingon'the crankshaft flange of a motor vehicle or thelike without necessitating substitution of the flange.

While the present invention has been disclosed in its typical or preferred form or embodiment it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, after understanding the improvements; that changes and modifications thereof maybe made without departing from the spirit 'of theinvention. It is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

I claim: e

1. In a fluid coupling, a drive assembly, and a driven assembly, said assemblies having members arranged in telescoped relation for piloting one assembly on the other; bearing means between said telesccped members; shoulders on said members abutting said bearing-means; stop means'on one member for maintaining said hearing means against the shoulder on said one member; and yieldable means onthe other memberfor maintaining said bearing means against the shoulder on said other member for effecting the aforesaid piloting of one assembly on the other, and also for restraining each assembly against axial movement relative to the other assembly.

2. In a fluid coupling, a drive'assembly, and a driven assembly, said assemblies having semitoroidal cross-section and having members arranged in telescopic relation for piloting one assembly on the other; bearing means between said telescoped members; shoulders on said members abutting said bearing means; a snap ring on one member for maintaining said bearing means against the shoulder on said one member; and

spring loaded plunger means arranged radiallyon the other member for maintaining-said hearing means against the shoulder on said other member, whereby to efiect the aforesaid piloting of one assembly on the other, and also to restrain each assembly against axial movement relative to the other assembly.

3. In a fluid coupling, a drive assembly,'and a driven assembly, said assemblies having semi- 4 toroidal cross-section; a hub portion on said driven assembly; an annular flange portion at the central region of said drive assembly, .s'aid flange telescoping said hub for piloting the driven assem. bly on the drive assembly; bearing means between said telescoped portions of said assemblies; shoulders on said hub and flange abutting said bearing means; snap ring means on said flange for maintaining said bearing means against the shoulder on said flange; and spring loaded plunger means arranged diametrically of said hub for maintaining said bearing means against the hub shoulder, whereby to eflect the aforesaid piloting of said driven assembly, and also to restrain said hub against axial movement relative to said flange, the-construction and arrangement of said plunger means and bearing means being such that said hubzis adapted to be insertedinto and to be'withdrawn from said bearing by force exerted in a direction axially of the coupling.

4. In a fluid coupling, a driving assembly comprising a. disc-like plate adapted to be secured to a drive shaft flange; a hollow cylindrical boss projecting axially from the central region of said plate; a shoulder within said boss inwardly of the rim thereof a driven assembly arranged within said driving assembly and comprising a sleeve; an axially projecting hub at an end portion of said sleeve; said hub being entered'in said boss and having a shoulder opposed to but spaced from the shoulder in said boss; and means for piloting said hub in said boss comprising a bearing engaged with the boss shoulder and maintained thereagainst by stop means on said boss: and retractable stop means carried by the end region of said hub and being engaged with said bearing radially opposite the shoulder of said boss; whereby said assemblies are maintained against accidental axial movement relative to each other under normal load'conditions of the fluid coupllng, theconstruction and arrangement of said piloting means being eflective to permit said hub to be inserted into and to be withdrawn from said bearing by an axial force suflicient to retract said retractable stop means.

5. In a fluid coupling, a driving assembly of semi-toroidal cross-section comprising a disc-like plate adapted to be secured to a drive shaft flange; a hollow cylindrical boss projecting axially from the central region of said plate; a shoulder within said boss inwardly of the rim thereof; a driven assembly of semi-toroidal cross-section arranged within said driving assembly and comprising a. radially flanged sleeve; an axially projecting hub at an end portion of said sleeve; said hub being entered in said boss and having a shoulder opposed to but spaced from the shoulder in said boss; and means for piloting said hub in said boss comprising a bearing engaged with the boss. shoulder and maintained thereagainst by snap ring means seated on said boss; and retractable spring loaded plunger means carried by the end region of said hub and being engaged with said bearing radially opposite the shoulder of said thereby; said driving assembly comprising a plate adapted to be secured to the flange Of a drive shaft, said plate being closed at the region of its axis; a shouldered annular flange projecting axially toward said driven assembly at the central region of said plate; bearing means seated in said fiangein abutting relation to the shouldered portion thereof; removable stop means internally in said flange, said stop means and shoulder being adapted to maintain said bearing means against axial movement; said driven assembly comprising a sleeve having a hub portion telescoped in the shouldered flange of said driving plate, said hub being removably received in said bearing means for piloting said driven assembly; a shoulder on said hub engaging said bearingat the side thereof which is opposite the shoulder on said driving plate flange; retractable stop means arranged diametrically opposite each other at the entered end portion of said hub, said retractable stop means being engaged with the side of said bearing means which is radially inward from the shoulder on said driven plate flange; said first and second stop means and shoulders together being arranged to retain said driven assembly in piloted relation to said driving assembly and being adapted to facilitate assembly and removal of said driven assembly by force exerted axially of the one with respect to the other.

7. In a fluid coupling arrangement, a driving assembly, and a driven assembly encompassed thereby, said assemblies each having approximately semi-toroidal cross-section; said driving assembly comprising a disc-like plate adapted to be secured to the flange of a, drive shaft; a 35 2,011,735

'gion of said plate; bearing means seated in said flange in abutting relation to the shouldered portion thereof; a snap ring seated internally in said flange, said snap ring and shoulder being adapted to maintain said bearing means against axial movement; said driven assembly comprising a sleeve having a hub portion telescoped in the shouldered flange of said driving plate, said hub being removably received in said bearing means for piloting said driven assembly; a shoulder on said hub engaging said bearing at the side thereof which is opposite the shoulder on said driving plate flange; spring loaded retractable plunger means arranged diametrically opposite each other at the entered end portion of said hub, said plunger means being engaged with the side of said bearing means which is radially inward from the shoulder on said driven plate flange; said snap ring, said plunger means, and said shoulders together being arranged to retain said driven assembly in piloted relation to said driving assembly and being adapted to facilitate assembly and removal of driven assembly by force exerted axially of the one with respect to the other.

REINHOLD C. ZEIDLER.

7 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in'the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,009,371 Junge July 23, 1935 Sinclair. Aug. 20, 1935 2,073,957 Brouwer Mar. 16, 1937 2,334,282

Peterson et al. Nov. 16, 1943 

